at
some degree of maturity, namely, from the time that he was fourteen to
the time that he was thirty, Richard was one of his brother's
subjects. He was a prince, it is true, and a prince of the very
highest rank--the next person but one, in fact, in the line of
succession to the crown. His brother George, the Duke of Clarence, of
course, being older than he, came before him; but both the young men,
though princes, were subjects. They were under their brother Edward's
authority, and bound to serve and obey him as their rightful
sovereign; next to him, however, they were the highest personages in
the realm. George was, from this time, generally called Clarence, and
Richard, Gloucester.

The reader may perhaps feel some interest and curiosity in learning
what became of Queen Margaret and old King Henry after they were
driven out of the country toward the north, at the time of Edward's
accession. Their prospects seemed, at the time, to be hopelessly
ruined, but their case was destined to furnish another very striking
instance of the extraordinary reverses of fortune which marked the
history of nearly all the great families during the whole course of
this York and Lancaster quarrel. In about ten years from the time when
Henry and Margaret were driven away, apparently into hopeless exile,
they came back in triumph, and were restored to power, and Edward
himself, in his turn, was ignominiously expelled from the kingdom. The
narrative of the circumstances through which these events were brought
about forms quite a romantic story.

In order, however, that this story may be more clearly understood, I
will first enumerate the principal personages that take a part in it,
and briefly remind the reader of the position which they respectively
occupied, and the relations which they sustained to each other.

First, there is the family of King Henry, consisting of himself and
his wife, Queen Margaret, and his little son Edward, who had received
the title of Prince of Wales. This boy was about eight years old at
the time his father and mother were driven away. We left them, in the
last chapter, flying toward the frontiers of Scotland to save their
lives, leaving to Edward and his troops the full possession of the
kingdom.

Henry and his little son, the Prince of Wales, of course represent the
house of Lancaster in the dispute for the succession.

The house of York was represented by Edward, whose title, as king, was
Edward the Fo